Live Literature is a blanket term for performance poetry, spoken word, story-telling and book readings; anything that makes the written word live.

New Writing Live is The New Writing Partnership’s new live literature programme. We’re here to support live lit artists and producers. We also want to develop audiences and keep those passionate about words in touch with what’s going on at their local venues. By working with producers, performers, venues, audiences and existing organisations we aim to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of live literature in the region.

Navigating this website is easy. Click on a ‘category’ to see all posts relating to that particualr category. Under ‘Pages’ you’ll find prodcuer and artist indexes and instruction of how to sign up.

This website is growing, more online resources, listings and images are on their way.

New Writing Live presents The Poetry Link.

Working in collaboration with three independent live literature producers we have set up a touring network across the East of England. Each month two nationally renowned stand-up poets will visit each of our three clubs on consecutive evenings. Each club also programmes its own diverse range of local poets as support.

The first season of The Poetry Link is scheduled for April, May & June 2008. The second season will follow in September, October & November, this time featuring five different clubs. In 2009 The Poetry Link launches a year round programme.

Live literature has long lacked the kind of club system that has allowed other arts forms such as stand-up comedy to thrive. The East of England will now lead the way with a new project that in future will hopefully extend right across the UK and give many more live poets the opportunity to make a living performing their work.

DOCKERS MC - Listed by The Times as one of the top ten literary talents of 2008 Dockers MC is currently wowing audiences as the warm-up act for Kate Nash and Luke Wright. It’s Dockers’ clarity and hilarity combined that makes her talent so entertaining. Her stories of Rude Girls, office geeks and obsessive Rolf Harris fans literally have the audience indulging in her every word and vying to be caught in her dottily dressed eye contact.

MC ANGEL - She is tough London-Irish girl who is afraid of absolutely no one. Her conscious rhymes and unique rhythmic flows have left a permanent stamp on London’s thriving live Hip-hop scene and she is the winner of many poetry slams and MC battles. She recently performed at London’s world famous Jazz Café with soul singing Legend Andrew Roachford and has been featured on Channel 4 and the BBC.

SUNDAY 18 May
Sundown
The Royal Hotel (ballroom)
1 High Street, Southend-on-sea, Essex
6:30 - 10:30pm | £3
PLUS SUPPORT FROM: FASSBINDER

MONDAY 19 MAY
The Monday Night Alternative
Norwich Arts Centre,
St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk
8pm – 10.30pm | £4/5
PLUS SUPPORT FROM: INUA ELLAMS

TUESDAY 20 MAY
Speakeasy
The Glass Onion
2 Burghley Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire
6pm – 10pm | £3
PLUS SUPPORT FROM: JENNY ORR, SUMMER MOEED, BEV WALSH

DOWNLOAD THE LATEST NEWSLETTER - live-letter-may08.pdf

New Writing Live is The New Writing Partnership’s new live literature programme. We’re here to support live lit artists and producers. We also want to develop audiences and keep those passionate about words in touch with what’s going on at their local venues. By working with producers, performers, venues, audiences and existing organisations we aim to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of live literature in the region.

New Writing Live is run by live literature co-ordinators Laura Stimson and Luke Wright. Laura has previously worked in arts administration and event management and is a writer and musician. Luke is a live literature artist and creative producer and founder of the Aisle16 collective.

The New Writing Partnership is a collaboration between the City of Norwich, the County of Norfolk, the University of East Anglia and Arts Council England, East.

It seeks to explore relationships between writers, culture and local communities and stimulate debate about literature and its values through international and cross-cultural exchanges. It follows writing wherever it leads – to the screen, to the stage, into the classroom, into pubs, on to the web, on to the streets, in the media and, of course, into books.